Mary’s one year old daughter is due to be given the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine during her next visit to the doctor. Mary is upset and concerned because one of her friend’s sons became ill after a similar vaccination. She has also heard rumors that MMR vaccine causes rubella. Mary was also told that her daughter will need to be vaccinated before Mary returns to work. Mary is not alone. Many parents face this issue. Therefore, it is important for Mary and all such parents to make decisions that are best for their children, based on facts and not emotions. Place yourself in the role of a health care worker, submit to the discussion area your plan to validate the importance of vaccination by addressing the following questions:

• Why are vaccinations necessary components of the healthcare programs?
• Are there reasons for people not being vaccinated despite of such elaborate healthcare programs? Explain.
• What are the consequences of people not being vaccinated?
• What is the impact of religious, cultural, legal, and ethical issues that parents need to consider before vaccination?
• What type of information will help the parents make an informed decision about vaccinating their children?

To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the . As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

Your initial posting should be addressed at 150-300 words. Submit your document to this Discussion Area by the due date assigned. Be sure to cite your sources using APA format.

Respond to your peers throughout the week. Justify your answers with examples, research, and reasoning. Follow up posts need to be submitted by the end of the week.

Use the following rubric as a guide to complete your discussion responses. 

For your project, using the South University Online Library or the Internet, research and select three current epidemiological studies regarding risk factors that are associated with any health problem. You can also use the following websites to search for studies as they are often used as the major sources of information for health research and often report on the most current health problems affecting the United States and global populations:

• What were the criteria that you used to select these papers? (For example, only English language, peer reviewed articles, only a specific age group, only United States studies, etc.)
• What were the types of risk factors studied in your chosen articles? (For example, environmental, socio-economic, behavioral, etc.)
• Which study design was used for this study? Why do you think the researchers chose this specific study design? Provide examples from your research.
• What are the proximate or underlying determinants of risk factors that are associated with any health problem for each study?

To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.